


For Her

by LiNafied



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Dreams vs. Reality, F/F, MovieAU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-05-29 16:50:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6384589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiNafied/pseuds/LiNafied
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was never falling in love. It was falling in you."</p><p>What happens when love blooms in the midst of lights, cameras and action, with the whole world's gaze upon them? </p><p>For Irene and Wendy, it was never about the happy ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't Know What To Say

**Author's Note:**

> A story featuring the blurred lines between fiction and fact and whether love is really worth it at the end?

“There’s nothing wrong with this and you know it!”

 

The brunette yelled at the redhead, hair drenched from the rain, makeup running and teeth chattering.

 

And yet, it was never a more beautiful sight to the woman, eyes taking in the way droplets of rain would run down a face that stepped out from a painting, with eyes burning with a fire that told nothing of the pain that was demanding to be felt. Her mouth pulled down into a frown and she shook her head, red strands turning to dark maroon as she spoke softly, a wide contrast to the loudness of the other woman.

 

“But there’s a lot of things that are wrong with the world and I don’t intend to get splashed by it.”

 

Beautiful and furious, the brunette stepped closer to her, dark hair sticking to pale skin as she questioned in disbelief.

 

“So you’re just giving up then?”

 

Her hand twitched, the urge to reach out and smooth the frown away too strong but stayed her arm with no small amount of sheer willpower.

 

“I’m just playing by the rules of a world that made us.”

 

The brunette laughed, high and shrill and heartbroken, the rain playing the perfect backdrop to the loss of the last vestiges of hope, invisible scars marked onto flawless skin.

 

“I see.”

 

The other woman ran her fingers through her hair, shaky and unsure as she shook her head.

 

“Then I guess you can have this back then.”

 

A metal clatter rang loudly despite the pitter patter of the rain, echoing in the redhead’s ears. Her eyes could hardly keep off the pendant laying by her feet, small, significant but abandoned. The action was soon accompanied by the soft crunching of leaves and the very obvious shattering of two hearts, one broken from the loss of an unconfident love never to be given back, another from the uncompromising stance to play by the rulebook given to her by a world who promised nothing but pain should she step out of the box.

 

But it was her dreamer side, the side that ached as she watched the love of her life walk away from her with broken pieces of her heart in her hands, that had her bending down and retrieving the pendant.

 

Small, significant, the image of two roses intertwined, with two diamonds offsetting in the center, the pink and blue glinting under the darkening sky.

 

***

 

“And cut! Good take, you guys!”

 

The director bellowed into the makeshift bullhorn, her dark hair falling past her eyes that held the anxiousness that could only come from a newbie. Shaking her head and shifting from her character, Wendy bowed towards the staff who were bustling around them, the man made rain coming to a drizzle before turning off completely. Her manager rushed forward with a towel and wrapped it around her tightly, murmuring something about catching a cold in the weather before hurrying her off to the makeup trailer.

 

Ever so polite, Wendy continued to thanked the staff as she walked there, another towel deposited on her head to dry her hair, still bowing even as she got into the trailer.

 

There, her co-star, Irene, was already in her seat, hair blown dry and eyes shut as the makeup artist slowly drew on the eyeliner. Sitting in the chair beside Irene, Wendy leant back and waited for the other makeup artist to hustle over, a small smile gracing her lips as she turned her head towards Irene.

 

“Hey, good job out there today.”

 

And as always, Irene didn’t return her gaze, merely murmuring her reply softly, the brunette still as cut off from the world as she was a month ago when Wendy first met her.

 

“Yeah, you too.”

 

And it irked Wendy to no end.

 

*

 

“So, have you read through the script yet?”

 

Wendy looked up from her the mess in front of her and squinted at her manager, dark eyes hidden behind thick frames and messy bangs. She heard her manager sigh before moving forwards, Seulgi plopping down beside Wendy heavily, the older woman looking every bit as exhausted as the look in her eyes portrayed. Gingerly, Wendy pat the brunette on the back before turning back to the scattered papers in front of her, belatedly answering Seulgi’s question from earlier.

 

“Which one? You sent me a lot of them over the week.”

 

She flipped through the mess halfheartedly, eyes drooping from the lack of sleep. Seulgi snorted and pushed her hands away, easily picking out a thick folder, slightly crumpled but holding obvious signs of being untouched.

 

“This one. It was the movie I was telling you about.”

 

Wendy took it from Seulgi with a scowl, muttering under her breath as she opened the cover.

 

“I can’t even remember what I did yesterday, let alone what you said over the phone. The guest star role had me completely drained.”

 

Seulgi gave her a look.

 

“I told you not to take the role. You know how sensitive you are, yet you still wanted to play the serial killer.”

 

Wendy waved an indolent hand and leant against her sofa, red hair spilling across the white leather, a stark contrast between the bright vermillion and the pure alabaster, as dull as Wendy’s unwashed hair could be.

 

“It was a good role. And I learnt a lot.”

 

“And yet you look like you haven’t slept since it ended.”

 

Falling silent, Wendy kept to herself that Seulgi had indeed hit the nail on the head as she had not slept due to the nightmares that plagued her, a remnant from immersing herself in a role so evil that only death could rid the world of it. Flipping through the pages, she changed the topic casually, stopping the inevitable nagging that would have come from Seulgi.

 

“This is a pretty controversial storyline.”

 

Seulgi hummed, eyes closed and head tilted onto the sofa.

 

“Yeah. But I read through it, plot’s solid and unlike some of the other ‘queerbaiting’ movies I’ve seen, it actually addresses the social stigma and issues properly.”

 

Seulgi rarely gave out praises to scripts; the brunette had worked too long in the industry to know that most things that are put out these days are catered towards popular audiences to achieve the estimated profit target. It was a lesson that Wendy had to learn quickly when genial roles, the woman in distress, a superhero’s love interest, were the norm until that one opportunity that Seulgi had managed to snap up arrived, pushing her from cutesy roles to talented actress.

 

Curious, Wendy read through the first few pages with a critical eye, nodding to herself and agreeing with Seulgi’s assessment.

 

A controversial story about love in a world that was worse than the entertainment industry, about loving the wrong person while under politics and the consequences both females characters would have to face should this love be revealed. The plot showed a character with ambition and another with strength, both fighting for what they thought was right, while maneuvering through the ever harsh, ever judgemental public. A movie, should it be successful, that could make a lot of people question a lot of things.

 

Maybe even change the view of the world on what love should be.

 

She closed the cover and huffed through her nose, ignoring the growing smile on Seulgi’s face as the manager anticipated an answer she already knew.

 

“Call them back. Tell them I’m interested.”

 

Seulgi’s grin was small but the glint in her eyes revealed just how joyous she was, the hardened woman pulling out her phone to do exactly as Wendy asked.

 

Wendy pursed her lips and tapped the script lightly, mind already reeling on the different ways she could portray the character.

 

It wasn’t every day she got to play a politician.

 

*

 

Solar spoke slowly, her hands shaking from the over consumption of coffee but her energy was still going strong.

 

“Alright, for the next scene, just-”

 

Wendy listened intently, taking in Solar’s instruction for the next scene, an abrupt change from the previously emotionally charged shot they had. Nodding, she shifted on her feet, her shoulder accidentally bumping into Irene’s, the black haired girl taking a step away from her to accommodate Wendy’s sudden intrusion of privacy. Resisting the urge to scowl, Wendy pretended like she did not see Irene do that, preferring to maintain her professionalism in the presence of the director.

 

(But she was still trying to figure out just what was Irene’s problem with her was.)

 

Solar’s voice cracked and her volume dropped slightly, forcing the both of them to huddle in closer, the distance from earlier diminished as Irene’s arm pressed into Wendy’s, the warmth diffusing from ebony haired woman to the redhead, somehow making its way up to Wendy’s cheeks when she realised that Irene wasn’t moving away like she thought she would. Filtering it away as yet another one of Irene’s quirks that she had yet to figure out, Wendy focused once again on Solar, the brunette’s gestures getting more animated as she passionately explained her vision for the next scene.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Irene’s smile was once again in that fond lilt on one side, almost a smirk but small, the infamous heart eyes forming.

 

This time, Wendy could hardly keep her own lips from pulling downwards.

 

(Just what was it that Irene hated about her?)

 

*

 

Seulgi whistled under her breath.

 

“Oh wow. Damn.”

 

Though a little miffed with Seulgi’s sudden starstruck episode, Wendy could see where the older woman was coming from. In front of her, with long flowing black locks and a face that could only have come from a painting, was Irene Bae, top model turned actress and current sweetheart in the eyes of the Korean media. A careless glance in the room showed a number of A-listers, most of which Wendy recognised though she could hardly claim to be close to them, despite her status in the industry. Following Seulgi’s lead, she took a seat beside Irene, the black haired woman going through her script, the file a lot more worn than the stack of papers Wendy was holding.

 

Pasting on a smile, Wendy bowed towards the other woman, a pleasant greeting leaving her lips.

 

“Good afternoon.”

 

Irene’s head tilted towards her slightly, eyes barely meeting Wendy’s and she murmured back in response, short and curt.

 

“Hello.”

 

Wendy blinked at the abrupt greeting, somewhat thrown off by the perceived rudeness portrayed by the other woman.

 

(This was the woman with constant heart eyes that caused an entire nation to fall in love with her?)

 

Not one to give up, Wendy tried again, her tone wavering slightly as she addressed the stoic woman.

 

“So, what did you think of the script?”

 

There was a beat before Irene huffed, a soft sound that grated on Wendy’s nerves, the black haired woman answering her with reluctance, akin to a kid who was miffed about doing chores.

 

“It’s good.”

 

Bristling slightly, Wendy had to force her irritation down slightly, reminding herself that there were people out there who were not as outgoing as she was, that there were people who preferred to keep to themselves. But her internal pep talk did nothing to soothe the slow burn in her veins, Wendy’s eyes narrowing when Irene quirked a smile across the table at one of the younger actresses, Joy, before returning to her script, the lingering wisps of a smile on her lips.

 

(It’s just her then?)

 

Fortunately for her, the director came hurrying in, a young woman who had recently won the big award at the end of year award shows, Solar, if Wendy recalled correctly. Wendy turned her focus away from the actress beside her, focusing on the director. Solar greeted them with a smile, confidence lacing her movements but Wendy could see the stress manifesting behind brown eyes, the weight of a controversial movie burdening her shoulders.

 

(A weight they would all soon share in the upcoming weeks.)

 

Solar cracked a joke to lighten the atmosphere in the room, Wendy unknowingly turning her head slightly when Irene let out a chuckle, Wendy barely catching the fond look on Irene’s face when Solar bit her lip at the success of her quip. The annoyance returned once again and Wendy frowned to herself, wondering just what was it about her that had Irene so cold, when in reality, she seemed to be friendly to everyone else?

 

She snapped out of her thoughts when people started clapping, blinking in confusion at the looks she was receiving. Seulgi cleared her throat behind her and she jerked her head towards her manager, the brunette staring at her unimpressed and pointing subtly towards the board up front. Eyelashes fluttering again, Wendy caught on belatedly that they were congratulating her for the role, the redhead playing the politician opposite -

 

 _Irene_.

 

Her _co-star_ lowered her head in a polite bow when the room clapped for her as well, Wendy recognising the smile on her face as practiced and polite, very different from the one she had given Joy earlier.

 

A rush of uncertainty bubbled at the pit of her stomach, Wendy inwardly asking herself just how it was she was supposed to work with someone who she had just met and felt such annoyance towards.

 

(From her curt, borderline rude answers to the practiced smiles, Wendy could already tell that their personalities were going to clash.

 

She hated fake people with a passion.)

 

_She’d just have to muddle through it professionally, wouldn’t she?_

 

Solar waited for the applause to die down before bringing her hands together once, sounding very much like the slate Wendy was used to hearing.

 

“Alright, guys! Let’s try to get a read in now so that we can get a feel of how the filming is supposed to go, okay?”

 

Already dreading her read with Irene, Wendy tried distracting herself by observing the rest of the actors and actresses falling into their characters, a successful attempt as she was always intrigued by how a person can completely change when acting. She watched carefully as Joy transformed from her smiley self to a stoic character, sending shivers down everyone’s spines as she tore down her partner, an actor (who was known for his boisterous personality) playing his part as a meek assistant.

 

And around the table it went, some reads hitting it right off the bat, like Joy’s, some missing the mark slightly, tension from actors and actresses affecting their complete immersion. Solar, like any good director, caught these mistakes almost at once, given her inputs and suggestions once the read was done.

 

And then it was Wendy’s turn.

 

The redhead inhaled deeply and looked down at her page, drawing from that one place in her mind to become the person described on the paper, cool, calm, collected and slightly snarky. Though shaky, Wendy hid her nervousness (that never really went away, even with her years of experience) well and turned to face Irene, completely taken aback by the smirk that graced the actress’ face, the cold persona no longer present.

 

In front of Wendy was Irene’s character in flesh and blood, from the smirk on her lips to the flick of her hair, Irene reciting her lines with perfect poise, confidence oozing through her pores.

 

“So I take it that you bring a lot of girls here then?”

 

Blinking rapidly, Wendy pulled herself back to the present and quirked a smile of her own, foreign and sharp, her eyes narrowing slightly as she leant forwards, words breathy and seductive.

 

“Only the ones I find beautiful, Miss.”

 

Irene’s lips widened a fraction and she matched Wendy’s position, their nose almost brushing as she whispered her line, coy and soft, her breath curling deliciously on Wendy’s lips.

 

“Well then, I must the only one then.”

 

Wendy raised a brow, her eyes drooping instinctively to what Seulgi often referred to her come hither look, barely glancing down to the page to cue for her next line.

 

(This felt...

 

 _Natural_.)

 

“And why is that?”

 

Lips almost meeting in a kiss, Irene gave her a slight taste of what was to come in the upcoming weeks, her eyes twinkling, stars alive and well behind the darkness.

 

“Because I was under the assumption that you never really found anything beautiful.”

 

Wendy held the stare right up to Solar’s excited clapping, their concentration broken as they both turned to face the director. Solar clasped her hands, a proud look on her face, interjected with approval and the lack of nervousness. Apparently lacking speech from excitement, the woman could only gesture wildly, leaving for one of the other staff to translate with a laugh.

 

“Well, it looks like we wouldn’t have any trouble making the audience believe you two really want to tear each other’s clothes off.”

 

A murmur of laughter ran through the room, Wendy ducking her head bashfully, still confused over what had happened.

 

(She had never had so much chemistry before with anyone else.

 

Especially with someone who she did not have positive feelings for.)

 

Beside her, Irene let out a breath of a laugh, the actress returning once more to her demure self, chin on the palm of her hand and that infuriating (fake) smile on her lips.

 

“Then I guess this movie would be a great success, don’t you think?”

 

The question was aimed more towards Wendy than to the rest of the room and Wendy had to hurriedly force an answer out, slipping back into old habits of fake confidence.

 

“Of course. With chemistry like ours, I’d be surprised if we didn’t burn the set.”

 

Irene’s smile did not reach her eyes but they both shared a laugh together, heads almost knocking the other’s as they grinned.

 

(Wendy had to give it to her.

 

At the very least, Irene was professional about things.

 

Wendy could work with that.)


	2. Melt

“It’s going to be a long ride to the venue so just try and get some rest.”

 

Irene merely nodded, catching her manager’s eye in the rearview mirror before laying back against her headrest. Her body relaxed against leather seat, the slight chill seeping through her button up shirt and she closed her eyes, letting out a soft sigh as the car began to move, the soft rumble of tyres against tar lulling her to sleep. A soft material brushed past her hand and she jolted awake, noticing her favourite purple blanket on her lap, Tiffany smiling at her fondly through the mirror.

 

She returned the smile, her mouth curling into that one smile reserved for people she loves (and hardly get to show) and whispered softly, knowing her manager would hear it despite its volume.

 

“Thanks,  _ unnie _ .”

 

The dark haired woman shook her head in response before returning her attention back towards the road, leaving Irene to her own devices again. The actress wrapped the blanket around her tightly and closed her eyes again but sleep was escaping her, her brain suddenly wide awake. Cursing under her breath, she opened her eyes and glared out the window, knowing that rest will not be on the agenda of this road trip today. 

 

“Can’t sleep?”

 

Turning her head towards Tiffany, Irene nodded petulantly and burrowed her chin into her blanket, causing the older woman to laugh at her. Tiffany reached over and turned the radio on, music filtering through the speakers softly. 

 

“Maybe some music will help.”

 

Irene smiled at the thoughtfulness of her manager but knew that no amount of soothing music would be able to put her to sleep now that her brain was awake. 

 

“Thank you. But I think I’ll just study the script for now.”

 

She pulled her script from her bag, worn and dirtied from the number of times she has gone through it, the state of it always drawing comment from her manager, albeit playfully.

 

“Maybe your script needs a rest too. Look at it, it looks more haggard than compared to you.”

 

Irene merely let out a breath of a laugh, drawing herself into that zone where it was nothing but her and the character she was meant to be. 

 

***

 

“You need to find me a new image consultant.”

 

The campaign manager looked up to see their head storming into the office with a scowl on her face. Tapping her fingers against the table, the black haired woman questioned carefully, not wanting to anger the already irritated politician. 

 

“Could I at least know why?”

 

The redhead flipped her hair over her shoulder and directed a soul withering glare at the woman, the manager holding her ground but shrinking inwardly at the fierce display. 

 

(If only she could hold that look when the debates were up.)

 

“Because she’s not in this like we are. We need committed people on this team, like-minded people, not someone who thinks this is their own personal crusade.”

 

Though she could see that there was something else boiling beneath the usually calm surface, she kept her voice even, the campaign manager shuffling around some papers to appear to look busier than she was. 

 

“I can do that, Miss. But I doubt we’d want to fire her just yet.”

 

“Why.”

 

It wasn’t a question as much as it was an arrow drawn in a taut bow but she schooled her expression carefully and answered genially.

 

“At this point, anything we do would be under scrutiny. Why not have her within the team for the next few weeks until we can  _ let her go _ because we no longer need image control?”

 

The maroon haired lady stared at her for a moment before the corner of her lip lifted up slightly, a disconcertingly attractive look for someone planning the unemployment of another person.

 

“I knew there was a reason for hiring you. Good job. We’ll do exactly that.”

 

She lowered her head in a bow and waited for the redhead to go into the office before lifting up her head. 

 

Though curious to know what exactly happened between the politician and the image consultant, she wisely kept her questions to herself. 

 

She didn’t need to scramble for another job, not when the stateswoman was the forerunner for the current election. 

 

It was in her best interest to keep her mouth shut.

 

(Be as it may, she really wanted to know why the politician had come back with a different shade of lipstick.)

 

***

 

“I’m working with who?”

 

Irene stared at her manager in disbelief, Tiffany looking back without blinking, the beautiful woman merely handing over the script without a word. Out of habit, Irene took it with both hands and thumbed through it mindlessly, her eyes never leaving the brunette in front of her. The older woman smiled widely but there was no emotion behind her brown eyes, Tiffany answering Irene’s previously unanswered question quietly.

 

“Wendy. And this offer came from the higher ups.”

 

You don’t get to reject this movie offer.

 

The unspoken statement didn’t go unheard.

 

Huffing through her nose, Irene lowered her gaze and snapped the script shut, a scowl taking over her gorgeous features. She tried not to say anything, well aware that her quick temper would mean Tiffany would bear the brunt of her distaste but truly, the thought of needing to work closely with Wendy irked her to no end. Tiffany, usually happy and would try to cajole her out of her slightly childish reactions, said nothing in regards to her behaviour this time around, knowing full well why Irene was acting this way. 

 

“Just read the script? It’s really good, from what I read and I think it could really affect the way people think about things.”

 

Tiffany ruffled her hair slightly, making sure that it didn’t ruin the current style the stylist had put her in too much and her hand remained there, a silent comfort as Irene continued to fume at the thought of working with Wendy. 

 

She flipped to the first page of the script and started to read, taking advantage of the break in between photo takes the current shoot allowed her. 

 

(It wasn’t as though she was being unreasonable.)

 

Her eyebrow rose sharply at the summary of the movie, Tiffany coughing out a laugh when she saw Irene’s expression in the mirror. 

 

(Though some people might call her that.)

 

“Wow. It would affect a lot of people. And maybe not in a good way.”

 

Tiffany hummed softly.

 

“Told you so. Despite the... unfortunate casting, it would be a good movie to add to your repertoire. At the very least, you can stop playing the damsel in distress. Not that you’re not cute as a damsel.”

 

Blushing when Tiffany winked at her, Irene lowered her gaze back to the script, subconsciously rubbing her head against Tiffany’s hand. 

 

(But really, she couldn’t get the image of Wendy being a supposed “sweetheart” and saying those things.)

 

“I’m assuming I’m playing the headstrong consultant.”

 

“Would you be anything else but headstrong?”

 

She jumped in her chair slightly and bumped her head against Tiffany’s arm, ignoring the slight squeal emitting from her manager’s lips.

 

(A sweetheart wouldn’t say that anyone other than trained actresses deserved to be where they are. 

 

That an idol, a model, someone not professionally trained as an actress got to where they are because of connections.)

 

“If you’re interested, I’ll give them a call and tell them. You’d have to go in for an audition but it’s a formality at this rate. I heard the director really wanted both you and Wendy in those roles.”

 

(Maybe she was being petty. 

 

But she didn’t take kindly to people belittling her hard work, the tears that she had shed, the amount of people telling her to just give up and how she just spat those words back in their faces.)

 

“Oh? Who’s the director?”

 

Tiffany brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face, a small smile playing on her lips as she answered. 

 

“YongSun.”

 

Irene’s head whipped up, an eager expression on her face.

 

“Really? Solar?”

 

Laughing at her sudden change in mood, Tiffany answered in affirmative.

 

“Yeah. I was shocked too.”

 

Irene sported a wide grin and closed the script determinedly. 

 

“Then call them and tell them I’m in. There’s no way I’m going to back out now.”

 

Barely hearing Tiffany’s words, Irene could only tremble in excitement at the thought of working with her longtime friend and sighed at the pride swelling in her chest. 

 

_ Both of us finally made it, huh? _

 

“Irene! It’s your turn now!”

 

“Okay!”

 

Dropping the script onto the makeshift makeup table, Irene hurried to her spot, barely casting a last look back at the fluttering pages of her future. 

 

(This would be a good opportunity.

 

Not only would she get to see Solar after so long, she’d get to show Wendy that she was  _ wrong _ . 

 

Now if only she didn’t feel like stabbing herself in the eye at the thought of being near Wendy.)

 

*

 

“Irene, we’re here.”

 

Opening her eyes slowly, she slowly registered that Tiffany shaking her and calling her name gently. Blinking slowly, she clasped her hand around Tiffany’s arm and squeezed once, wordlessly signalling to the dark haired woman that she was awake. Tiffany held her position until Irene could pull herself back from the last vestiges of her dream, smiling softly when Irene croaked out a question.

 

“I fell asleep?”

 

“Yeah. Just about an hour into the journey. Last night’s photoshoot must’ve worn you out.”

 

Irene nodded blankly, picking up her script from the car’s floor and stuffed it in her bag. Holding Tiffany’s arm, she got out of the vehicle slowly, taking in the scenery in front of her. Dust billowed at her feet and Tiffany sighed, guiding the barely awake girl towards the caravans set up. 

 

“We’ll be here for two weeks at the most hopefully. So do your best!”

 

Nodding, Irene took in what would be her set for the next two weeks, inwardly cataloguing how she would use her environment in the upcoming scene where the politician would be building her image as a caring senator by working with citizens from rural areas. From the corner of her eye, she could see Solar already walking the grid, the director motioning towards the scene director and sound director with wide gestures, presumably about how to capture everything at its best. She turned her head and spotted the rest of the cast already in hair and makeup, Joy catching her eye through the mirror and winking playfully. 

 

Feeling a smile making its way to her face, Irene slowly ambled towards the caravan, bowing to the various staff rushing about. Tiffany murmured something about a discussion before leaving her just as they got to the door, the manager darting away and moving towards the producers’ tent, leaving Irene to move into the cramped space by herself, the stylist greeting her brightly and gesturing her to sit. 

 

Irene smiled politely and sat down, noting that once again they had put her chair right next to Wendy. 

 

Swallowing down her scowl, Irene murmured a greeting towards her co-star, nodding once when Wendy greeted back in kind, the redhead giving her a unexplainable look before closing her eyes, the makeup artist drawing on the liner carefully. Though confused by the stare, Irene soon put it out of her mind when the stylist in charge of her look came bustling back, Irene closing her eyes to the routine she had long gotten used to. 

 

“Could we get Joy and HoYa to the set first? We’ll be filming their scenes first.”

 

A runner bellowed through the door hurriedly before running off, the stylists working twice as fast to get Joy and HoYa ready. Both actors bowed to Irene and Wendy, Irene giving Joy a small fist pump to give her some energy. True to her stage name, Joy shot back a particularly bright smile before rushing out after HoYa, her scene mate calling for her loudly as he skipped away. 

 

“You two seem close.”

 

It was only the years of training that had Irene stilling in her chair as the urge to whip her head around (and subsequently dislodge all the curling rollers in her hair) was too strong. Her voice came out even as she answered politely, aware of the stares the stylists were giving her. 

 

(She’d rather die than have people gossip about her being rude to the movie’s golden child.)

 

“We’ve worked together on several productions before.”

 

“Ahh...”

 

Wendy fell silent after that and Irene let out a sigh of relief, her posture sagging slightly at the thought of not needing to play the good girl and socialise. 

 

(Especially not with someone she didn’t like.)

 

“Alright. All done, Irene. The both of you just hang tight till they come call you, okay? I don’t want anything to happen to your clothes.”

 

The stylists gathered up their materials before bustling off, still busy though they had already done their jobs. 

 

(Irene could only imagine just how much more tired the staff were compared to them as it seemed to her that their jobs seemed endless.

 

Everyone seemed to be able to do everything on set.)

 

The trailer soon fell into an awkward silence, with Wendy fiddling away with her phone and Irene looking everywhere but at the other woman. Awkward soon gave way to stifling and it had the brunette thinking about going against the stylist's’ instructions and heading out to monitor Joy’s take, if only to escape the choking atmosphere. 

 

She was about to get out of her chair when Wendy spoke up, the redhead looking at Irene through the mirror. 

 

“Can I ask you a question?”

 

Irene had a hard time keeping the sarcastic answer off her tongue but managed eventually when she nodded curtly, her mouth pulled into a strained smile. Wendy’s naturally smiling face fell slightly and she leant forward, hair falling past her eyes and she spoke quietly, her question causing Irene to clench at her chair tightly.

 

“What is it that you don’t like about me?”

 

*

 

She was pretty, she had to admit that.

 

(If Irene was really honest with herself, she would say that Wendy was ethereally beautiful.)

 

But even as the redhead walked towards her with a smile, it was all she could do to not scowl in her direction, righteous indignation rising in her chest and causing her to see red. Taking in a deep breath, she looked back at her script, knowing that it was the best thing she could do at this moment. 

 

(If she wasn’t too welcoming after that...

 

Well, she still had things to improve on as an actress.)

 

It wasn’t until after she pulled away from Wendy after their reading that Irene realised that her breaths were coming in short and her heart was thumping so hard that it felt like it was about to pull away from its surrounding vessels. Barely registering the quip Solar made at their chemistry, Irene took advantage of the distracted attentions of the room (and Wendy) to turn away and catch her breath. 

 

(What the hell.

 

That wasn’t chemistry.

 

That was full blown  _ unresolved sexual tension _ .)

 

She knocked her temple at the thought and let out a breath of a laugh in disbelief.

 

(There was no way-

 

Not even if she  _ did _ swing that way.)

 

A rustle beside her told her that Wendy had directed her attention back towards her. Though shaking, Irene managed to pull her lips into a smile and rested her chin on her palm, looking every bit as unaffected as the redhead. 

 

“Then I guess this movie would be a great success, don’t you think?”

 

The question was aimed more towards Wendy than to the rest of the room and it didn’t surprise Irene that Wendy answered it back just as sharply, her eyes narrowing briefly before curving up into that smile she was known for. 

 

“Of course. With chemistry like ours, I’d be surprised if we didn’t burn the set.”

 

She widened her lips but she could barely call it a smile, not when her heart was still beating like it was about to run away and her fingers were still shaking over the exchange. 

 

But they both shared a laugh together, Irene almost knocking Wendy’s head in her haste to pretend that she was pleased with their  _ chemistry _ . 

 

(Though shaken, Irene pushed the feelings deep down. 

 

She will not let anything stand in her way of showing Wendy just how capable she was.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we finally know Irene's side of the story! Please continue to look kindly upon this fic. Thank you so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by webseries Kissing In The Rain.


End file.
